Deep Sabaal
Far south from the Salt Coast, beyond the central untamed wilderness which the coastlanders call Agirot Emiria, and beyond that,lie the mysterious lands of Deep Sabaal. Little is known of this far- flung, hot land except what is told by sailors and adventurers who have dared to go this far south. The coastlanders have ever called this land "Deep" Sabaal, refering to its southern location, but its inhabitants call it Sabaal. The few Empyreans who have learned of Sabaal from the coastlanders also refer to it as "Deep" Sabaal. History According to Sabaali religion, the Gods came to the world and built a great city in which they taught mankind everything they needed to govern the world in their name; Sabaali believe this city to be buried beneath the central desert of their land, hidden until such a time comes that it once again shall rise from the sands, a shining beacon for all the world to see and revere. Early Sabaali history is murky; indeed, one must go to the religious texts to find that at one point, the Gods gave the reins to a family to rule over the Sabaali, a story that is eerily similar to the Empyre's earliest stories of this Age; however, it seems that the Sabaali's beginning of time is more than a thousand years earlier than the story of the Lost God and Mítron the first God-king, dating the Sabaali culture to about 4,500 years old. Immediately following the rise of the first Warai (kings) of Sabaal, there was a long period of innovation, prosperity, and peace. According to legends, the civilization thrived, ruling perhaps as much as the entire continent (the distant parts being colonized or governed from afar, much like the Empyre millenia later). But the great first city of Sabaal was destroyed, and buried beneath the desert, and there came a long age of darkness and suffering, and civil war and strife. At its height, the continent was referred to as the Sabaali Empire, but the millenia have erased most of its traces, and other cultures have impacted the regions especially to the north and northwest so much that Sabaali greatness is all but forgotten...for now. The first king scholars can identify with certainty is Warai Yahmir Cloudsteps, who ruled approximately 1500 years ago (around the Empyrean year 2000); apparently he earned his nickname for being a dreamer. He is the scapegoat for the decline of the formidable Sabaali Empire, and when he ruled, all that remained of the glory of his ancestors was the region now known as Deep Sabaal. A later king, Warai Safured, waged a decade-long war against the ancestors of the Falafari peoples known as the Three-Pronged War. The Three-Pronged War Warai Safured... Sabaali Politics Deep Sabaal is ruled by what Empyreans would see as a king. The Sabaali, however, call this ruler a Shepherd - the Warai. The Warai rule until the crown passes to their first-born heir, be it man or woman. Should a Queen rule Deep Sabaal, her title is also Warai. A deep-rooted believe among the Sabaali is that the line of kings descends from the City of the Gods, called Sherkud, a mythical place described in their religion as the first city of the world where the gods taught men to rule and build, and which they left to their first chosen king, the ancestor of the current Warai, Hassar the Seventh. "That our kings and queens have been touched, indeed blessed, by the holy gods, of that there is no doubt. See how magnificent they are, a radiant bloodline destined for greatness in due time," writes the scholar Barir. The Warai's seat of power is the City of Qadas, where their royal palace is located. They control their own military force, called the Chosen Shields. The Warai The word meaning 'shepherd', the Warai is the ruler of Deep Sabaal. Hassar the Seventh The current Warai of Deep Sabaal. The Chosen Shields The bodyguard unit of the Warai. Geography Ghad Shuma The land that follows Suuradarya in the north is rugged and steep, rocky and hilly, and is by the Sabaali often referred to as the "Treacherous North", Ghad Shuma. The most fertile land can be found in the west, between the Koth Paraa Mountains and the western edge of the Usbagjhan Desert, and here the only city of the land can be found, Qadas. It is here that ore is taken from the mountains and refined into the renowned Sabaali steel . North of the city lies a large stretch of land which is irrigated, and where Sabaali culture is blooming. There are a few towns on the northern banks of the Jundarya River, bordering the marshlands of the Madali: This culture differs from the rest of the land by being a complex water-borne fishing culture, living in huts in the marshlands on the eastern half of the length of the river. In the eyes of the people of the west and north, they are not true Sabaali-blooded. In the rest of Deep Sabaal, nomadic herders roam the lands; tent-dwellers who herd sheep and goats and camels, in the dry summer months on the pastures adjoining the Jundarya River. These people are generally considered true Sabaali-blooded, yet are distinguished by their own name, theFasafari, meaning 'the wandering people'. During autumn, the Fasafari travel to the towns and the city of Qadas to trade. In addition to the Sabaali, Madali, and Fasafari, a fourth group of people call Deep Sabaal their home: The Pahaari hillmen roaming the slopes of the Koth Paraa Mountains. They have been driven far north and west, but used to roam all along the western border, until the City of Qadas raised an army to defeat them, which it is still working at. This army, bred specifically to deal with the aggressive hillmen, is thus named, among the people of the city, the Hillbreakers (Pathorna). Every male citizen of Qadas, at the age of sixteen, is drafted into the Pathorna to serve for two years. Young men from the country often leave their villages or tribes to join the Pathorna, for it ensures a roof above their heads and food (and long excursions into the treacherous mountains). Koth Paraa Mountains The Korh Paraa Mountains descend from the north, cleaving their way through the continent. Sabaal encircles the southern tip of the range. The Two Rivers Deep Sabaal is a region between two rivers, Suuradarya '(The River of Faces) and '''Jundarya '(The South River), both flowing out into the ocean on the region's east coast. Both rivers descend from the heights of the mountains that form the region's western border, and which the Sabaali call the Mountains of Dread (Koth Paraa). Between these two rivers is Deep Sabaal: A semi-arid land dominated by a central desert,Usbagjhan, surrounded by marshes, lagoons, mud flats, and reed banks in the south. Usbagjhan Desert The heart of Sabaal Cities & Towns Qadas Qadas is the all-important political and religious center of Deep Sabaal. Here, the great palace of the Warai is located, as are the great markets to which nomad tribes come to trade; in Qadas, the headquarters of the Hillbreakers can be found, and in Qadas one finds the most imposing temple of the region, perhaps on the entire continent. Most famous is perhaps the House of Sacred Words, the library/university that occupies the city's northeastern hill. The main thoroughfares of the city all have the prefix 'casaron', which means 'avenue' or 'street'. The street leading up the hill to the House of Sacred Words is named Casaron Whadra; the street passing by the royal palace is Casaron Aaru, the main street through the city is Casaron Abna, and the street between the city guard compounds and the Abna street is Casaron Nibat. Map Key: 1. THE ROYAL PALACE OF THE WARAI 2. HOUSE OF SACRED WORDS 3. HILLBREAKER HEADQUARTERS At the Hillbreaker Headquarters, a large fortress commonly called the Black Court, Siah Calasen, two notorious men work to keep the army ever alert to the hill-tribes of the nearby western mountains. The commander of the army, the Qand, is Qand Ilrabn Omosur, a hard man with one arm lost in battle and a zealous drive. His second-in-command, or An'qand, is An'qand Obar Sidaar, equally fervent in his dedication to destroying the tribes of the hills and slopes, a man with a dark streak running through his soul. 4. ROYAL DOCKS 5. BIRISHNI MARKET 6. CARAVANSERAI PLACE 7. DINENATH PLAZA 8. TEMPLE 9. CITY WATCH COMPOUNDS The River Towns There are five towns on the Jundarya River, one of them where it empties into the ocean; north of it, there are three coastal port towns. The northermost of these is '''Shamnad, where Salt Coast traders occasionally arrive during summer; hence the town's nickname is 'Summersalt'. The other two towns are Qirmas '('the eastern water') and '''Dirmasba '('the town in the middle'). The towns on the Jundarya River, from west to east, are: '''Taarek, Sayasaya, Damak Kana, Mandirat, and Hasamaseen. Mondas The Sabaali control a stretch of land on the west coast of the continent, including the port city of Mondas. It is here that occasional trade galleys from the Hidden Kingdom arrive. The buildings of Mondas are built of baked red bricks and are generally square, with wooden panels covering glass-less windows. A central tall tower with an eye painted on it, so as to overlook the city, is named Kes Laerosh. There is a dusty bazaar where bolts of cloth, wicker baskets and ceramic jars are among the popular wares. The poor of Mondas are tattooed to show their social rank with the image of half a coin. The city guardsmen wear bronze halfhelms, white cloaks and leather cuirrases, and wield long spears. The city is ruled by a man named Ikoron Nultas. Among the traditional dishes of Mondas is a meal consisting of sweetened bread (nauseating), wines, honey, and clovers. Sabaali Language The Sabaali still speak and write the same language as they have done for thousands of years, only slightly modified throughout time. According to themselves, their language is the holy language of the gods, and is therefore referred to as Muqalaf, the "sacred words". Early, the Sabaali wrote by inscribing rune-like script into clay tablets, of which many are found in the desert, sometimes exposed by the shifting sandstorms. Later, perhaps no more than one millennium ago, parchment was introduced, probably from the Salt Coast, and their runic script as a result became more flowery, and is still developing into its own unique style. In the City of Qadas, the Sabaali have a large library, the House of Winged Words, Mak'Parlaf, in which many ancient clay tablets are stored and rewritten onto parchment. The City is proud of its intellectuals, and the House of Winged Words is an important part of the city, next to its temples and the palace of the Warai. Mak'Parlaf is a centre of learning, and mathematics, astronomy, and other sciences are taught and studied here. Sabaali Religion Like in other parts of the world, such as the Empyre, religion is deeply entwined with politics, most obviously through the same origin story concerning gods appointing kings to rule the land (in the case of Deep Sabaal, a noble family called the Warai). The Sabaali call their religion Yataqa, meaning something like the "truths of destiny". City of the Gods The legendary city of Sherkud is also known as the 'City of the Gods'. Muqalaf Meaning "Sacred Words".